11 January 2023 16:00 (UTC)
"I'm looking forward to kicking off this chapter in style in this amazing city"
"I'm looking forward to kicking off this chapter in style in this amazing city"
Following months of preparation and hard work, our highly anticipated Formula E debut is finally upon us. Hear from NEOM McLaren Formula E drivers Jake Hughes and René Rast, and Team Principal Ian James as they prepare for Round 1 in Mexico City, Mexico.
Round | 1 |
When | 13 - 14 January |
Where | Mexico City, Mexico |
“I’m really looking forward to the Mexico City E-Prix. It’ll be my first Formula E race, so from a personal point of view I’m really excited. I think we’ve had a good pre-season even though we haven’t had much time in the car. Nevertheless, I think pre-season testing in Valencia went well, the team were up to speed and I felt like we were really well prepared.
"Going forwards to Mexico, I think we’re as ready as we can be. I have the best team behind me to go out and give my best to achieve the strongest result possible for them. Not only is it my first race in the series, it’s also McLaren’s first race in Formula E, which is a milestone. I’m really looking forward to it, and I believe we can get the season off to a good start."
“I’m very much looking forward to the start of the season after such a long time of preparation. We’ve spent many days in the simulator, days on track testing and it’s all coming together. I can’t wait for the race weekend to kick off. I’m looking forward to all the sessions, from practice and qualifying to the race.
"Hopefully we will be competitive, we didn’t look too bad in Valencia. It’ll be the first time for me racing in Mexico City on a Formula E circuit. I’m looking forward to it and am hoping for a great weekend."
“Since our transition into the McLaren Racing family, we’ve been working with a clear intent: to be ready and at fighting strength for the first race of the season in Mexico City. The first race weekend is now less than a week away, and we are ready and excited for the challenges that will face us during the weekend. Challenges that will most certainly come from our competitors. We’ve seen that everyone has taken a significant step forward in every aspect of their performance, meaning that Gen3 is likely to be the most competitive Formula E generation yet.
"From our side, it hasn’t been an easy or straightforward task and we are definitely not fully satisfied yet, but from what I can see so far, we can be happy with what we’ve achieved to date in such a short amount of time. We’ve been able to build on the strong foundation we have put in place over the last couple of years, and have started to enhance this with the unique strengths of the McLaren Racing.
"It’s a fantastic time for the sport, for the championship: this weekend will see the official debut of a new generation of cars, as well as new teams on the grid. For us, it’s our official debut as the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team, with a complete new driver line-up in Jake and René.
"Mexico City is a great backdrop: one of the most exciting races on the calendar with a fanbase like no other. I’m looking forward to kicking off this chapter in style in this amazing city.”
Free Practice 1 (13 January) | 16:30 local / 22:30 MTC |
Free Practice 2 (14 January) | 07:30 local / 13:30 MTC |
Qualifying (14 January) | 09:40 local / 15:40 MTC |
Race (14 January) | 14:03 local / 20:03 MTC |
• Free Practice 1 and 2: Channel 4 Sport YouTube, Eurosport Player, Formula E YouTube
• Qualifying: Channel 4 Sport YouTube, Eurosport 2 (delayed), Eurosport Player
• Race: Channel 4 Sport YouTube, Eurosport 1, Eurosport Player
Find the broadcast options in your territory here.
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